Wide Angle: Getting the 411 On Flash Floods

July 07, 2009

It makes sense that in the midst of a recession researchers would go, "Let's create a better way to predict floods...with what we've already got." As a result, a team from the University of Tel Aviv is casting a new light on cell phone towers.

Geophysics professor Pinhas Alpert and electrical engineering professor Hagit Messer Yaron recently reported in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics that they successfully used radio wave data from cell phone towers to accurately predict flash floods in Israel.

Moisture in the air affects the way radio waves are transmitted and cell phone towers are hubs of such humidity-related information. Working in cooperation with two cellular companies, the researchers paired data from the towers with data from surface stations to understand what was happening in places where it was previously difficult to gather reliable air moisture information.

"Wireless communication networks are, in effect, built-in environmental monitoring facilities," the researchers reported. Plus, the cost to implement the system is minimal since service providers already gather this information. While high winds and rain did make accurate data collection a challenge, one day we might be able to maximize the existing cell phone tower grid to predict Katrina-like floods--with time to spare.

Photo: A cell phone tower in Richmond, British Columbia. Credit: Richard Smith.

GET MORE OF THE WIDE ANGLE
Grids smarten up right quick:

News: Community Genome Could Produce Biofuels

Puzzle: Plugging Into the Smart Grid

Blog: Micro-Curtailment to Curb AC Use

HowStuffWorks: How Living Off the Grid Works

Planet Green: How to Choose a Home Energy Monitor

TreeHugger: Dip Your Toes Into Smart Home Integration